Notes:

“To love someone is not first of all to do things for them, but to reveal to them their beauty and value, to say to them through our attitude: ‘You are beautiful. You are important. I trust you. You can trust yourself.’ We all know well that we can do things for others and in the process crush them, making them feel that they are incapable of doing things by themselves. To love someone is to reveal to them their capacities for life, the light that is shining in them.” – Jean Vanier, founder of the L’Arche communities

In this conversation, Jim and Trisha consider the impact of how we read the bible on how we love. It is possible for people who are committed to the authority of the Scriptures to reach different conclusions on important social issues? And, when that happens, how do they relate to one another? How do you love another person who reads the Bible really differently than you do?

“I believe that Jesus says in multiple, unequivocal ways that love is the supreme value. I believe It is more important than theology . . . more important than preference or tradition . . . more important than politics . . . more important than race or culture or context. It’s more important than anything.

Yet across the country, congregations are divided and dividing because they have differing views of politics, of same-sex-marriage, of immigration reform, of black-lives-matter, and of so many other things. By their actions many congregations are saying that it is more important to be right (often based on their personal interpretation of the Bible) than it is to stay in loving relationships where disagreements – even sharp ones – exist.” (From my Facebook Post)

How can we experience the deep change needed to increase our capacity to love? Spiritual formation.

How can we respond to cultural change? In this episode, Jim and Trisha explore the grief and loss of shifts in the cultural and societal systems we are a part of. Throughout the conversation, they consider how curiosity, community, and courage impact our ability to lead off-map. Thank you for listening!